So what are the prospects for our interims in 2009?

Having experienced the ups and downs of the recruitment market for nearly a decade, I try to explore the opportunities that market conditions create, rather than eliminate. Some organisations are undoubtedly going to need the expertise of procurement interims in 2009 - after all, no organisation can go through a period of recession without changing their product or their process.

Local Government procurement is in the spotlight this year with the pressure on to reduce costs and whilst some authorities have worked hard to establish effective and stable teams over the last couple of years, others are still running with fairly archaic functions that will need to get up to speed pretty quickly to even stand a chance of meeting targets.

Our Central Government is undoubtedly under huge pressure to reduce their costs and many departments have interim recruitment freezes in place currently. All this focus on cost saving, however, will undoubtedly create opportunities and category specialists are likely to be called upon to carry out specific cost reduction projects.

The NHS looks set to be a reliable user this year with changes to NHS procurement practices and procedures beginning to be implemented during 2009.

The main area for concern over 2009 looks to be in many areas of the Private Sector, with most having to jump through hoops to get interim sign off. Many organisations are having to work with very short term business plans and cannot see past the initial cost of an interim. If they can recruit, it is likely to be for a quick cost reduction project rather than any long term strategic posts.

Even so, there will be certain skill sets in demand. Outsourcing is an area that many organisations are exploring, enhanced IT systems will be required to increase productivity whilst reducing headcount and tough negotiators may be rolled in to maximise on current contracts and make quick savings – after all, in this market cash is king.

There are undoubtedly more interims available on the market than there have been for some time so competition for roles will be great. Some interims have returned to permanent posts, whilst others have adjusted their expectations as to what they can achieve in terms of rate and role.